The answer is yes. Similar to a workplace, a home has internet traffic as well and it’s important that it’s protected. Believe it or not there are hackers with the specific intention of breaking in to your home internet connection and accessing your devices. Besides computers, laptops and mobile devices, even printers are vulnerable if not properly protected.

 I know what you may be thinking, that you were all set-up with everything you needed when you first started using your internet service. An all-in-one type device was provided making it simple and easy from a set-up standpoint, as well as being space saving. Well, simple sometimes isn’t comprehensive enough to withstand today’s most advanced and latest threats. So, is it worth being protected from some things and not others? The logical answer is no, as the more you leave yourself susceptible to security threats the more likely is it that you will be compromised at some point.

Essentially, there are two types of firewalls available, hardware and software. Hardware means an actual piece of equipment is being used and software is an application loaded on your computer or mobile device. Your PC may have its own flavor of software firewall activated, as do some mobile devices. Some internet and cellular service providers offer firewall protection via the gateway of your internet connection or by an app. In general, a simple firewall hardware device and application can typically be enhanced from a configuration standpoint by an IT professional, but there are some limitations to their advancement comparable to other standalone solutions.  We don’t recommend an end user attempting this as there could be a negative result, such as shutting down your internet connection entirely.

Are you interested in beefing up your firewall security at home but don’t know where to start? Contact us at Authority IT and speak to one of our security specialists who can assess your needs. Do you find our articles useful? Like our page for more.